Rising country star Granger Smith and his family have honored their son River’s life by donating his organs to two adults. Smith’s wife, Amber, shared the news on her Instagram over the weekend.
River tragically passed away at the age of three after a drowning accident at the family’s home. Amber shared that she had wanted to be an organ donor, but “never in a million years” did she think she “would be making that decision for her baby.”
River’s organs were donated to a 49-year-old woman and 53-year-old-man. Amber shared on Instagram that she “Cried out of sadness and cried out of love” after hearing the news. “I’m so proud to be River’s mama. I pray these two recipients live healthy, joy-filled, full-throttle lives just like Riv.” she captioned the sweet photo of her little boy.
Amber also encouraged her followers to visit organdonor.gov to get more information on organ donation. “There are over 113,000 people waiting for transplants and 20 people die each day waiting,” she noted.
Granger recently paid tribute to his son with a “River” tattoo on his right forearm. He also shared a moving tribute to his son on Instagram, saying, “I can rest assured knowing that River’s assignment on earth was always intended for 1116 days and not only did he live it to the fullest, but he lived it loved by so many, including a mother, father, sister and brother who held nothing back and have no regrets on how much he felt that love. We should all be so blessed to be able to live like Riv.”
Our thoughts are with the Granger family during this difficult time.